Stay up to date:Get a free personalized pregnancy and baby newsletter from What to Expect.com

Get your free personalized pregnancy and baby newsletter

or

I'm trying to conceive

I don’t live in the U.S.

First Time Mom

By clicking "SIGN UP," you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We will use your information to send you our newsletters, coupons and special offers, and we share your information with our partners

THANKS FOR SIGNING UP!

My Favorite Natural Teething Remedies

by Rebecca Desfosse on November 30, 2012

Rebecca Desfosse

About the Author

You can also find Rebecca Desfosse at her frugal-living blog, <a href="http://www.doggonethrifty.com/">Doggone Thrifty</a>. Married for three years and mother to a two-year-old boy, Rebecca understands how to raise a family on a budget and is eager to share her knowledge

About the Blog

WhatToExpect.com supports Word of Mom as a place to share stories and highlight the many perspectives and experiences of pregnancy and parenting. However, the opinions expressed in this section are those of individual writers and do not reflect the views of Heidi Murkoff of the What to Expect brand.

When my son was first teething, I was concerned about using products with benzocaine. My doctor wasn't exactly against using it, but I felt uncomfortable applying a drug that I wasn't sure was going 100 percent directly into his mouth. So, I opted for natural teething remedies instead, and here are five of my favorites:

Sophie the Giraffe. There's a reason why she's been around for 50 years. Words cannot describe how much I love Sophie and how often I relied on her during those early days of teething. There is something about the legs and neck that are easy for baby to grasp and put in his mouth to chew, chew, and chew. The rubber is soft and flexible — perfect for soothing sore gums. I also like that it's made of natural rubber and food paint.

Amber teething necklace. Some moms think they're bogus, others think they're unsafe (or both), but amber teething necklaces worked for my baby. As baby wears the necklace, his body absorbs the succinic acid from the amber which has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.

Frozen wet washcloth. This remedy is really super simple and works wonders. You don't need any special toys or teethers — all you need is a clean, soft washcloth. Wet it slightly and throw it in the freezer. The chilly washcloth provides instant numbing action for your little one.

Massage the gum. Sometimes my son would let me put my finger into his mouth and rub directly on the swollen gum. Other times, he wanted nothing to do with it. But whenever he was game, it seemed to hit the spot.

Mesh feeder. My son loved chewing on foods in this contraption to soothe his gummies. Not only was it a great teething remedy, I also liked how it exposed him to different flavors. I would put frozen fruits in there like peaches or berries and feel great about the nutritional value he was getting (unbeknownst to him) as he gnawed away.

What natural teething remedies did you use? What were your favorites? Share below in the comments section!